Today’s guest blogger is Creative Goddess Rhian Swain-Giboney. I met Rhian online and adore her. She has a wonderful blog where she keeps us all entertained with her poetry, her posts on mythology and glimpses into her life as an artist and a businesswoman. She’s one talented lady.
Today Rhian is talking about How to Feed Your Inner Creative Brat, something I think is really important in these busy times. When I talked to Rhian about doing a guest spot, I asked her if she’d like to give away one of my books as a prize. Immediately, she chose Scarlet Woman. So, everyone who comments on her post will go into a draw to win a download of the first book in my Middlemarch series. (Check back the following day to see if you’re the winner as the winner’s name will be announced in the comments section.)
How to Feed Your Inner Creative Brat
When we were children it was much easier to let imagination toss us into a world of unlimited possibilities, of grand adventures and spectacular fun. When we were children the rules of appropriate conduct were not as harsh nor restrictive. When we were young we were free to leap blindly and wildly into the creative and feast there with abandon.
It’s not quite the same as an adult. Not only are we overburdened with daily responsibilities, often we are caged within the strictures of “suitable” behavior as defined for our age, our job, our gender, our WHATEVER.
This can cause problems for those with daily creative jobs such as writers, performers, artists, and musicians. How do you feed the creative while living within the socially acceptable box? Because as you creative types know, the hunger, the drive, the NEED to express creatively in your medium of choice can be a demanding little brat. And goddess help you if you hit a creative brick wall and can’t feed the brat.
The “fount of creative” needs input and not necessarily just reading… or walking through museums… or listening to an excellent band. That’s all fine and good. Really. Nice, low key, ADULT acceptable feeding of the well.
If you REALLY want to add some creative blaze, fun and excitement back into your creative process you need to leap blindly. You need to ENGAGE. You need to remember how abso-fuckin-lutely wonderful it felt to just play creatively. (Oops – can I say that here?) Play without worrying what others will think. Play that has no purpose other than for the hell of it and because it feels good. Play because your inner brat is squirming with joy at the thought of doing something different from the everyday stuff.
Sounds weird/ funny/ cool/ intriguing/ nutty, you say. Like WHAT?, you ask.
(This is my favorite part – I swear y’all it works!)
Any and all of the following will make your inner brat feel like its been on a weeklong chocoholic binge.
1. Grab some of your friends (friends are optional though good for courage), a box of colored chalk and go downtown and do silly chalk drawings on the sidewalk in front of the library (or some other building where they won’t arrest you). It really works well if you do it around midnight with flashlights. The cops don’t like the beer. Bring sodas.
2. Attend an ethnic festival and dance in the street or on the festival ground with abandon. Greek festivals are AWESOME for doing this. You’ll only get a few odd looks.
3. Attend a free children’s art workshop/activity and make whatever the kids are making. No one is going to take your construct seriously. Have fun with it. Just don’t eat the glue.
4. Go to a carnival or amusement park and ride the bumper cars or carousel (the latter can really spark the imagination) and whoop it up. Ride that bronc and let yourself laugh aloud. Remember! Remember what it was like to burn with the joy of being alive as a child!
5. Go to a hands-on community activity like African drumming, and pound the shit out of those bad boys (the drums, not the drummers). It is GREAT therapy. If you don’t have something like that in your community, get some trashcans, some friends, flip them over (the trashcans, not the friends) and start banging away. A few beers might help with this one.
6. Go to a belly dancing class or a pole-dancing class or karaoke night. You don’t have to be perfect or even good – just have fun. Let yourself be silly. It doesn’t make you less of an adult or less responsible.
7. If you have children, grab their hand(s) and skip down the street with them. Skipping is a great activity for remembering how free your body and mind used to be. Warning: Do NOT skip without being chaperoned by children. The men in white coats WILL haul you off for skipping in public by yourself.
8. Buy a coloring book and crayons and color a page in the book. Then color a page with the wrong colors. Then color a page and DO NOT STAY IN THE BLOODY LINES!
You get the idea. There are countless ways you can feed your creative brat, all it takes is a little inspired remembering. It is getting past the feeling silly that will make it so liberating. And even if you are not a nutball exhibitionist (like some of us), there are more sedate creative activities YOU did as a child – playing with dolls (it’s okay, no one has to know that Ken and Barbie reinacted “THAT” scene from your book), racing Hotwheels, or hell… buy a nerf dart gun and shoot your spouse. (Hey, mine thought it was funny when I did that earlier this week.)
Trust me. Your inner brat will thanks you and reward you.
Happy Birthday Shell darling! Your books ARE one of the ways I feed my inner brat.
I’ll be hanging around most of the day, so feel free to share your inner brat experiences, what you WISH you had the courage to do but can’t quite make yourself, how YOU keep the creativity flowing and feel free to ask questions.
REDWOLF
Rhian Swain-Giboney, President
Rhian@redwolf-inc.com marketing@redwolf-inc.com
www.redwolf-inc.com
Related posts:
December 9th, 2007 at 5:19 am · Link
Morning everyone! Happy birthday again Shell and this is like the coolest celebration EVER. I’m looking at the list of other guest bloggers and can’t freakin believe the company I’m hanging with. Good Goddess – does sucking up ever pay off. Heh!
Seriously – any of you that haven’t sampled Shell’s books really need to give her a try – you’ll be ever so grateful. May I recommend a fabulous series about werepanthers?
December 9th, 2007 at 5:44 am · Link
It has been a long time since I fed my inner child.
I may just go skipping with my grandson today.
December 9th, 2007 at 5:57 am · Link
Hi Estella! You’ll find yourself giggling and your grandson is going to think you’re the coolest grandma on the planet.
December 9th, 2007 at 6:04 am · Link
Rhi… some of those suggestions had me really laughing… especially the drummer comment! LOL! I did think you were referring to the drummers themselves at first.
As for my inner brat, I don’t think it’s been out in a while… I may just have to drag a coloring book out here soon. Oooh… or I could watch one of my old favorite kiddie cartoons. Those always make me feel young again. *grin*
December 9th, 2007 at 6:27 am · Link
Happy Birthday Shell! My inner brat loves to sample more cookies than I really need. My husband loves baking and has baked at least 13 different kinds of cookies since Thanksgiving. They are for Christmas gifts, I figure there is plenty to go around.
December 9th, 2007 at 6:52 am · Link
Cartoons! Oh yes Rhonda! I love to watch some of the older ones. Johnny Quest still cracks me up. And remember Jem? And there was the pirate space opera one that i loved but can’t recall the name of.
Flipping drummers is frowned upon but potentially fun!
Tammy – cookies! It’s all part of indulging your inner brat. If you have extra cookies I can send you my addy and you can feed MY inner brat…. heh!
December 9th, 2007 at 8:09 am · Link
Holy shit, what’s Sand doing here??? That girl rocks, Rhi. Grab her up and make her be part of the tribe. It won’t take much convincing, I don’t think.
As for me, I really dropped in to mention that my whole blog is devoted to exactly what you’re writing about today… *grin*
Seriously. Those are the exact feelings I key into when I come up with an outtake or something for Chelle or Roadie Poet. Ultimately, I’m finding it’s why I blog. Among other things.
December 9th, 2007 at 8:11 am · Link
Great advice! It’s been awhile, but I used to make a lot of crafts with my children whn they were younger. I miss those days!
Blessings,
Rhonda
December 9th, 2007 at 8:20 am · Link
One of the many, many things I love about you as well as so many of the other Tribers is y’all have a highly developed sense of play. You’re not afraid to go a little wild, be alot of silly and dance nekkid under a full moon. Metaphorically speaking. And yeah wenchy – blogging is play for me too. I’ve also found the Poetry Train keeps my creative pool in tiptop shape. I’ll pop over and see your post. Great minds and all that! (you psychic witch you)
Hi Rhonda! Kids are a great excuse to play but so often once they’re grown the play stops. I think we need to start a “rent a kid” business. Each rental comes with construction paper, elmer’s glue and glitter.
December 9th, 2007 at 8:25 am · Link
Happy Birthday, Shell! Have a great day!
Hi Rhi, This is a great time of year for feeding your inner brat. Making cookies, decorating the Christmas ficus, tormenting blog buddies with drive by Christmas Carols in their comments, even going Christmas shopping with friends, all helps the inner brat feel free.
December 9th, 2007 at 8:38 am · Link
I often feed my inner brat. Your ideas have given me new venues to explore. Great post!
December 9th, 2007 at 8:38 am · Link
I tend to feed my inner brat on a daily basis.
That’s okay, right?
Happy Birthday Shelley!!!!!!
December 9th, 2007 at 8:45 am · Link
Ann-baby! Right you are – I think when the holidays aren’t stressing us out to the point of hair-yanking, it paradoxically spurs and excites that inner exuberance. Drive by caroling? You have to stop by my place when you do that! I can’t join in though. I sound like an ancient crow when I sing. It scares off everyone. Swear.
Hi Laura K! I bet your creative brain lingers constantly at the exploding point then! It’s a good thing. I feel lost when my brain isn’t in the middle of creative convulsions. Glad you enjoyed the post and the celebrations here at Shell’s superfantastical birthday par-tay!
December 9th, 2007 at 8:46 am · Link
Lisa – daily brat feeding is mandatory for someone who has over a hundred WIPs.
GRIN!!!!
December 9th, 2007 at 8:55 am · Link
Happy Birthday, Shelly. I came here from Rhian’s blog!
As a teacher, I continually feed my inner brat. I have to or I go stanant. I cannot allow that.
December 9th, 2007 at 8:58 am · Link
Hiya Gautami! Thanks so much for popping by. (I love my friends)
And I can totally see how it would be a survival need to feed the brat if you teach! I bet it makes you a popular teacher too!
December 9th, 2007 at 9:51 am · Link
But glue is so tasty!
My 4 year old niece and I played “Mythbusters” the other day. For those who are scratching their heads, Mythbusters is a tv show where they take popular myths and see if they’re scientifically true. For instance, we tested out the coke and mento’s experiment and ended up drenched in soda.
Goodtimes were had by all.
December 9th, 2007 at 10:33 am · Link
Especially the paste! heh.
mythbusters sounds like a game I’d enjoy!
Thanks RD!
December 9th, 2007 at 10:36 am · Link
Love your suggestions!
My kids really get a kick out of it when I do cartwheels with them in the yard or ride their scooters with them. Kids are a great excuse for playing on the monkey bars too. If you don’t have one, just borrow one. You’ll get fewer strange looks that way!
December 9th, 2007 at 11:05 am · Link
Thanks for all the birthday wishes everyone!! It’s been a great month.
Rhi – you’ll be happy to know – Assassin (the next Middlemarch story) has a release date. 6 Aug 2008. I heard today.
I just loved this post – the drumming amused me. You might hear rumors about me skipping down streets in Mexico City very late at night. It’s possible people who are passing on said rumors were drinking.
I like to play on the swings at the playground near where we live, that’s when the local kids aren’t playing on them. I’m always a bit disappointed when the kids are playing and I can’t. Hubby’s swing technique isn’t so good. He needs practice.
At this time of the year I love to go for a walk and see the Christmas lights. That’s a great way to indulge the inner child.
December 9th, 2007 at 11:35 am · Link
Jenyfer, I’m jealous – I always wanted to be able to do cartwheels. I’m much to gracelessl. I do a great trip, spin and fall on my face though.
Wahoo on the next Middlemarch, Shell! Booooo on having to wait until August. Somehow I’ll survive. Barely.
I can picture you skipping down the streets of Mexico! One of things I love ’bout you is your sense of adventure.
Swinging is great fun! As for Christmas lights, #4 son and I play a car game each year called “Who can Spot the Next Christmas Lights.” First one to spot them gets a point. To play you have yell “Christmas Lights” very loudly to get your point. Warning, it can make whoever is driving a little crazy. Son is 14 now and STILL insists we play each year.
December 9th, 2007 at 11:56 am · Link
Shhh! The real reason I take my son to “Mommy and Me” craft classes is so I can do the crafts. It worked out well, the instructor offered me a job! :-)
I can get away with a lot of juvenile behavior when I am with my 3-year-old. It looks like I am a good and involved mommy.
December 9th, 2007 at 11:57 am · Link
Rhian,
Jem is truly outrageous!
December 9th, 2007 at 12:02 pm · Link
Happy Birthday, Shelley!
I try to feed my inner brat.
December 9th, 2007 at 12:08 pm · Link
Ha! T-Brun, that’s great! Not only ARE you a great and involved mommy, but you’re setting a wonderful example for your son.
All four of my boys, even those grown and starting their own adventures in the world, have a wonderful sense of play. They don’t feel like they have to stop having fun just because they’re adults now. Hell, how many 20-somethings do you know that jump at the chance to take their mom out to listen to local bands? Okay, they’re in it for the free beer. I know that. And to watch me make an idiot of myself on the dance floor. Highly entertaining I’m told.
December 9th, 2007 at 12:09 pm · Link
Hiya Amelia! What methods do you use? Come on – tell us. We promise to laugh with you not at you!
December 9th, 2007 at 12:24 pm · Link
LOL – Rhi. The Christmas light game sounds like fun. It’s great your boys like to go out with you. There’s nothing better than fun and laughter to make a person feel young and happy!
December 9th, 2007 at 1:05 pm · Link
I’ll gladly report to all about Rhian and dance floors after the Romantic Times conference in April…
December 9th, 2007 at 1:10 pm · Link
Oh, good! I’ll come straight to you for the full scoop as soon as RT finishes!
December 9th, 2007 at 1:14 pm · Link
SUSAN!!!!!!!!! *hugs* I didn’t know you even read romances so I sure didn’t expect you here!!! LOL!!! How’ve you been girl? And what tribe are you dragging me into? You’re going to RT? I so want to go, but won’t have the funds or vacation time. At least I’m going to be attending Lori Foster’s event in June up in Ohio. Hopefully some of the authors that are blogging here will get to go there as well. *whistle*
And Rhi… I didn’t watch the cartoons you listed but have MANY favorites from the 80s (Alvin & the Chipmunks, The Snorks, Smurfs, JabberJaws, Hong Kong Phooey… just to name a few). I miss USA Cartoon Network. Today’s cartoons are crap! Well, US ones anyway. Japan has it going on with all of the anime. ;)
December 9th, 2007 at 3:17 pm · Link
I love cartoons, too. And you’re right. The older ones are so much better. My favorites are The Flintstones and The Jetsons. I haven’t seen Hong Kong Phooey for ages. I liked him too!
December 9th, 2007 at 3:23 pm · Link
Great post, Rhian.
Play for the sake of it is something that does get lost in adulthood.
All your suggestions are wonderful fun!
I like to go out to the mall and order a big ice cream sundae for supper at least once a year. I can do that because I’m an adult and I don’t have to eat a proper supper if I don’t wanna. *g*
December 9th, 2007 at 3:40 pm · Link
What a great post! Especially the dancing at a festival part! *Pouts on the no eating glue part*
December 9th, 2007 at 4:14 pm · Link
Susan! Can I blackmail you by promising not to post compromising photos of you from RT if you don’t tell tales out of school?
Aw, Shell, don’t encourage her!
Rhonda – i agree 100% on the cartoon today. I notice alot of the kids watching older ones still which is cool. You’ll have a blast at Lori’s! I’ve heard it is quite the party!
NJ! I haven’t talked to you in ages it seems! Sundaes for meals – what a grand idea!
One of the nice things about being grown up is deciding what you DON’T have to eat anymore too. Lima Beans – GARHF.
Shelli-wench! The glue will just give you a tummy-ache sweetie. And no swallowing your gum either. Festival dancing is a blast. I’m gathering my goddesses next year at the big arts festival and we’re going to do a parade again. We did it two years ago – all eight of us who showed up (heh) and paraded like loons through a crowd of 30,000 people. I didn’t do it this year because – well, only eight had shown up – but we’ve been requested to bring it back. Apparently the festival goers really liked our silly parade.
December 9th, 2007 at 5:24 pm · Link
Rhi — there are no compromising pictures of me. Ask Sand. She’ll tell ya.
And yes, Rhonda, I read romances! I read everything that’s fiction. Except for the Christian stuff, but that’s sort of to be expected when you’re Jewish… *wink*
December 9th, 2007 at 5:27 pm · Link
Susan-wenchy! you’re gonna be hanging with ME at RT. I will have my camera. There WILL be compromising photos. *evil laugh*
December 9th, 2007 at 5:37 pm · Link
Wow, I can’t wait for all these incriminating photos
December 9th, 2007 at 5:51 pm · Link
I lurve you Rhian, though you know that. Excellent post sweetie. Good food for thought, especially since I’m holed up in me cave. ;)
December 9th, 2007 at 7:06 pm · Link
I’ve always done the coloring book thing. Really calming and releases my creativity, because you don’t have to come up with something on your own to start working with the colors. Great post, Rhian – I wonder how many of us will go midnight chalk drawing when it gets warmer…?
And Shelley – Happy Birthday!
December 9th, 2007 at 10:04 pm · Link
Thanks for the birthday wishes, Julia!
December 10th, 2007 at 4:31 am · Link
i loves you too Amy! it was fun for me to come out of MY cave for a day!
Julia – can you imagine all of US gathering and doing something like chalk drawing together. it would be a freaking blast!
thanks everyone that came by to wahoo Shell! Y’all are awesome!
December 10th, 2007 at 12:11 pm · Link
Today’s winner is Gautami!!
Congratulations
Email me at shelley munro @ gmail.com (no spaces) and let me know which format you’d like Scarlet Woman in and I’ll email you your prize.
Congrats again!
December 10th, 2007 at 2:28 pm · Link
I can’t believe I missed this too but what a great post, Rhian. Thanks for the tips, I promise to try them!
December 10th, 2007 at 2:49 pm · Link
Late to the par-tay (as usual), but had to stop in and say RIGHT ON, RHI!
Great suggestions.
Play-doh also helps. Beer optional.
Shelley – I’ve been enjoying your guest bloggers! I found some new people mixed in with some old friends.